Anti-government unrest in Venezuela has entered its sixth week – with almost 40 people killed. Venezuelans in South Florida are also turning up the volume against the socialist regime – and Florida Governor Rick Scott joined them Monday night in Doral.

Hundreds of expats sang the Venezuelan national anthem outside the Arepazo Dos restaurant in support of massive street protests back home. They want the ouster of left-wing President Nicolás Maduro, whom they blame for political repression and Venezuela’s economic collapse.

Scott told the crowd he came to help them spread their message farther.

“Worldwide," Scott said, "everybody’s got to tell Maduro and those thugs to leave!”

Scott brought the Florida Medal of Freedom for Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López, whom Maduro put in jail three years ago. Scott also spoke by phone from the podium to López’s wife. The medal was accepted by Carlos Vecchio, who heads López’s Voluntad Popular party.

“If Leopoldo were here, I don’t have any doubt that he would dedicate this award to those who have died in Venezuela," said Vecchio, "to those who have been fighting for democracy.”

Maduro calls the demonstrators terrorists. He’s proposing a rewrite of Venezuela’s Constitution, but opponents say he wants to create a dictatorship.

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Venezuela’s massive anti-government protests appear to have the staying power they’ve lacked in years past. That’s good news, since Venezuela's socialist government has destroyed an oil-rich economy and once-sturdy democracy.

But – along with the 29 people killed so far in this month's unrest – here's the bad news. The longer the demonstrations last, the greater will be their defeat if they don’t succeed in forcing that disastrously erratic and dictatorial regime to restore democratic norms and elections.

For some of his countrymen, Venezuelan cross-country skier Adrián Solano’s performance in Finland last week was uplifting – even though it involved a lot of falling down. To others it was mucha pena. Really embarrassing.